Police say violent struggle happened before family’s disappearance

Calgary police released this image of a small pick-up truck seen in a Parkhill neighbourhood the night when 5-year-old Nathan O'Brien and his grandparents disappeared.Supplied
/ Calgary Herald

Police said Friday there were signs of struggle within the house on 100 blocks of 38A Avenue S.W. in Calgary, where police were called after the suspicious disappearance of three people on Monday.Jenn Pierce
/ Calgary Herald

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A violent struggle occurred inside a Parkhill home before five-year-old Nathan O'Brien and his grandparents went missing from the residence six days ago, but there is no evidence of forced entry, police say.

In their most revealing update on the disappearance of Alvin and Kathryn Liknes and their grandson, police said at least one of the family members was likely injured in the attack, but that they remain hopeful all three are alive.

Forensic experts continue to analyze evidence taken from the home, which police hope will help them better understand the violent attack and how many of the three were hurt. But it could be another week before those lab results are available, Staff Sgt. Doug Andrus told reporters.

With hundreds of tips pouring in from across the country, Andrus said police have "a number of theories" about the mystery that has gripped the city and rippled across the continent, but they have still not identified a motive.

Although there are no signs of forced entry at the Liknes home, police are "keeping an open mind" on whether the couple knew whoever is responsible for the suspected attack and abduction. Andrus would not comment on whether a weapon was found at the home.

Asked whether he was concerned with the length of time Nathan and his grandparents have been missing, he said the investigation is still in its early stages.

"We're only five days in," he said Friday afternoon. "We have done a lot of work, but there's still a lot of work to be done ... We have well over 200 tips that we're going through and that takes time because we have to follow up on each tip."

Nathan was last seen by his mother Sunday evening when she dropped him off at the home of his grandparents. Police believe the couple and grandson left the home against their will sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning.

Police are now looking for the driver of a pickup truck — a green Ford F150 made in the late 1980s or early 1990s — that was seen driving around the Parkhill neighbourhood several times during the night the three disappeared.

Pressed on whether the driver is a suspect, Andrus said the person is believed to have information that could help police better understand the case.

Andrus said earlier this week there are "no suspects I can name," but that new information gleaned from surveillance footage and tips had helped officers better understand the mysterious disappearance.

Investigators have also spoken with about 75 people who attended an estate sale at the Liknes home last weekend. Stationed at a Parkhill community centre, police took fingerprints from people who attended the sale to match against prints they found inside the home and rule out potential suspects.

Officers are also trying to figure out what items were purchased at the estate sale and what remains in the home, in the hopes of identifying items that may be missing and finding clues that could help them learn more about the disappearance.

Police have made some progress in drawing up a list of potentially missing items, but the list is incomplete because more than 200 people are believed to have attended the estate sale.

A blog had been set up at www.nathankathyalvin.com to compile wishes of hope and compassion, which had been coming in from across North America and as far away as the United Kingdom.

Due to the massive volume of posts — it featured more than 1,600 — administrators shut down the blog, delivered the messages to the family and set up a new website for well-wishers: www.nathankathyalvin.com/wordpress.

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